860 Broadway

Last updated
The Butler Building
860 Broadway.jpg
860 Broadway
Interactive map of The Butler Building
Former namesThe Parish Building
General information
Location860 Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Coordinates 40°44′14″N73°59′24″W / 40.7371°N 73.99°W / 40.7371; -73.99
Year built1883-94
Renovated1925
Design and construction
Architect Detlef Lienau
Renovating team
ArchitectsF. H. Dewey & Company

860 Broadway, also known as the Butler Building and previously the Parish Building, is a commercial building in Manhattan, New York City, located at the corner of Broadway and East 17th Street, adjacent to Union Square Park. Originally completed in 1894, the building was later refaced in 1925. It has been used for office and retail spaces and is known for its association with Pop artist Andy Warhol's Factory studio in the 1970s and 1980s. It was also the location of the Underground nightclub in the 1980s.

Contents

History

Early history

Built in 1884 for the Daniel Parish estate, the Parish Building—later known as the Butler Building—stands on a site formerly occupied by the Henry Parish mansion and mid-19th-century commercial structures on land developed by the Manhattan Bank Company. [1] From the late 19th to early 20th centuries, it accommodated notable jewelers, silversmiths, and home furnishing merchants, including Sypher & Company, Dominick & Haff and Thonet Brothers, and for several years served as the New York City showroom for Butler Brothers, dry goods and general wholesalers. [2] [3] [1]

Andy Warhol's Factory

In 1974, Pop artist Andy Warhol moved his studio, the Factory, to 860 Broadway, where he occupied the entire third floor. [4] The renovations were overseen by his partner Jed Johnson and architect Peter Marino. [5] [6] The new space featured a more subdued atmosphere than his previous Factories, highlighted by large Art Deco furnishings repurposed from the Paris production of L'Amour (1972). [7] During Warhol's tenure at 860 Broadway, the location became an influential art and cultural hub. [8] In 1984, he moved to 22 East 33rd Street, a former Con Edison substation.

The Public Art Fund commissioned artist Rob Pruitt to design a chrome statue of Warhol that was installed outside 860 Broadway from March to October 2011. [9]

The Underground nightclub

The Underground nightclub operated at 860 Broadway from 1980 to 1989. [10] [11] [12] It was owned by Jay Levy and Maurice Brahms, [13] [14] [15] a former partner of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the original owners of Studio 54, after Studio 54 closed due to jailing of Rubell and Schrager. [16] [17] [18] The club opened on February 28, 1980. [19] John Blair got his start there. [20] Baird Jones promoted Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night parties from 1983 to 1986. [21] [22] [23] [24] Music videos for "I Want To Know What Love Is" by Foreigner and "Word Up!" by Cameo were filmed at the club. [25] [26] After about a decade, the club was reimagined by BlackBook Magazine columnist Steve Lewis & Co. as Le Palace de Beauté, where RuPaul often performed.

Later tenants

After the Underground closed, Petco opened, moving in 2022, to 44 Union Square, the former Tammany Hall. [27] [28] Today, the building houses a variety of tenants, including technology, media, and service firms. Notable occupants have included software company Kaltura, architectural design firm Selldorf Architects, flexible workspace provider Industrious, and fintech firm Valon Technologies. [29] [30]

Architecture

860 Broadway is a six-story neo-Grec–style commercial building designed by architect Detlef Lienau and constructed in 1883–84 for the estate of Daniel Parish. Lienau, a student of French architect Henri Labrouste, was among the earliest proponents of the French Second Empire and neo-Grec styles in the United States. [1] The façade of the building was altered in 1925 by F. H. Dewey & Company, which updated its exterior while losing much of its original neo-Grec character. [31]

The structure contains approximately 75,800 square feet, with retail space occupying the ground floor and basement, and full-floor office suites above. The upper floors have large windows that offer views of Union Square Park. [31]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The current proposal is: 860 Broadway, aka 27-29 East 17th Street and 32-34 East 18th Street - Ladies' Mile Historic District Borough of Manhattan" (PDF). NYC Landmarks Preservation Committee. June 7, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Butler Bros. Celebrates 65th Year At Spring Market Event This Week; Wholesale House, Pioneer in Many Merchandising Ideas, Passed $100,000,000 Mark for the First Time Last Year". The New York Times. February 8, 1942.
  3. ↑ Sypher, Francis J. (March 1, 1998). "A Visit to 860 Broadway Bridged Four Generations". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Colacello, Bob (1990). Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up. New York, NY: HarperCollins. p. 233. ISBN   978-0-06-016419-5.
  5. ↑ Goldstein, Andrew M. (August 12, 2016). ""Art Architect" Peter Marino on How He Became the Dark Prince of Luxury". Artspace.
  6. ↑ Gilbert, Rose (September 27, 1976). "'Wasted space is any space that has art in it'". Daily News. p. 34. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ Bourdon, David (November 11, 1974). "Stacking the Deco". New York Magazine. 7 (45): 64, 66.
  8. ↑ Richardson, John (July 1983). "Andy on the Move: The Factory Factor". House & Garden. 155 (7): 90–97, 148–151.
  9. ↑ Smith, Roberta (March 31, 2011). "Andy Warhol Commemorated in Chrome on Union Square". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  10. ↑ Pareles, Jon (November 12, 1982). "DANCE AND MUSIC CLUBS THRIVING IN ERA OF CHANGE". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Foderaro, Lisa W. (November 11, 1988). "Plush Discos Offer Rock, Rap and Romanticism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ Farrell v. Lautob Realty Corp., 238 A.D.2d 304, 656 N.Y.S.2d 912 (N.Y. App. Div. 1997)
  13. ↑ Nieves, Evelyn (August 20, 1990). "Noisy Discos Are Targets Of Crackdown". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ Freitag, Michael (January 8, 1990). "Violence at Discotheque Mobilizes Neighborhood". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Maurice Brahms". Disco-Disco.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Other Legendary Clubs". Disco-Disco.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  17. ↑ Peter Rappit (1983). "Underground: The Slow Show, A Hip Hop Rap Attak (Event Flyers)". Library. Cornell University. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Pop Artist Steve kaufman". amourdart.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  19. ↑ Musto, Michael (November 3, 2017). "Ex-Club God John Contini: "Everyone Assumed I Was High As a Kite!"". papermag.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ Murphy, Tim (January 26, 2012). "A Highly Rated Body of Work". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  21. ↑ Duka, John (March 4, 1984). "The New Party Givers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ Carraway, Nick (29 November 1983). "Baird Jones rocks". Columbia Spectator. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023– via spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu.
  23. ↑ "Baird Jones, Mark Kostabi, East Village Art, 1980s". Gallery 98. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  24. ↑ Steinhauer, Jennifer (February 12, 1995). "After Fabulousness, An Age of Intimacy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is (Official Music Video)". Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023– via TouTube.
  26. ↑ "Cameo – Word Up (Official Video)". Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023– via YouTube.
  27. ↑ Rebong, Kevin (February 3, 2022). "Petco to Open New Union Square Location". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  28. ↑ alexinnyc. "Back to 860 B'way: O'Brien Over Union Square". Flaming Pablum. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  29. ↑ Parker, Lisa (2023-12-14). "Fintech Firm Valon Technologies Takes Full Floor At 860 Broadway". citybiz. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  30. ↑ Wozniak, Jessica (December 1, 2022). "JLL arranges full floor agreement for Industrious at 860 Broadway". www.jll.com. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  31. 1 2 Welcome (2014-03-17). "Certificate of Appropriateness Testimony: HDC@LPC – March 18, 2014". HDC. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
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